Quick q driving to work this mornin and accelerated in 2nd only to hear a 'ratchet' noise (like running a spanner along coragated iron) and then a shit load of black smoke comes out exhust which had a blue streak along the middle of the black cloud.

So n e ideas? The noise seemed to come from like under the dashboard,in re middle ,gearbox area no? If so why so much black smoke?

My best guess clutch issue and it didn't engage the 2nd gear right then the cog slips until it catches,causing the engine rev massivly making smoke? Or am I way off mark?

I'd have to say it pulled as normal although it jiggered slightly when the exhust blew out,I didn't seem to loose speed/noticable acceleration,I think. Also the ,ratchet noise was very rappid,like faster than machine gun fire for use of a better word,would it vibrate that quick?

me neither ! lol, just drove home, it was fine, went steady though, when the engine was cold in 1st and 2nd, ~30% acceleration it was like 'stuttering' (high/low engine noise, moving normally, then 'engine breaking' on the low noise).....after a while this however stopped, like something in the engine was sticking abit...

Am just about to head outside now check my oil levels and water levels now the engine has cooled down abit.

I remember last summer in cornwall it 'blew out' a couple of times within 20 mins of each other, no ratcheting noise though back then.

Thanks for your insights on stuff!

PS: Ironically of which work have advertised a company car saab 9-3 vector 2L petrol softtop 2003 model, 63k on the clock, for 4k ..... that good value for money considering as its a company car id imagine it would have a full service history ? miles seem low ish also, not a bad looking car either, but not amazing.

4K is a very good price for the Saab, I'd be sorely tempted. But then I've been looking at Saabs recently myself. Company cars are often bought as capital assets by businesses which means for accountancy reasons they have to take on a set rate of depreciation. When the company cars came up for sale at the agency I worked for in Porthill there was a bit of a bun fight to get them.

Yeah im tempted as well, its fairly sensible (more so I guess than a z3,lol), and has good miles and is quite new, as well as a being a softtop, works doing it by way of lottery, anyone thats entered in the last 3 company cars lotto cannot enter this one, you send the organizer ya name, and it gets pulled out of a hat, if you win, you get car, obviously,lol.

Excuse my lack of large company nonse, but im guessing they wouldnt let me pay if off at a sensible rate would they ? or would they want the cash up front? lol

Yeah the same thing happened where I worked, I didn't win the opportunity to buy one.

I don't know if they'd let you pay for it in instalments, I think it's unlikely though, most accountants don't like to over complicate things when they don't have to.

From what I know Saabs are very good cars, they are Vauxhalls underneath but don't let that put you off. Just be wary of buying something on a whim just because it's practical, £4K can buy a lot - As I realised myself only yesterday when was driving to look at a car and decided to turn round and go home.

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